Brent Spencer

Sir Brent Spencer (1760-29 December 1828) was a General of Great Britain who served in the American Revolution, French Revolutionary Wars, Haitian Revolution, and Napoleonic Wars, in the latter as the second-in-command of Arthur Wellesley. He was a confident commander and brave soldier, but also a

Biography
In 1778 Spencer was commissioned as an officer and from 1779 to 1782 and from 1790 to 1794 he fought against France in the West Indies. As a Brigadier General, he took part in the failed 1797 campaign against Toussaint L'ouverture in Santo Domingo. Two years later he led the 40th Regiment of Foot and fought in the Battle of Bergen in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland, before fighting in Egypt and later at Copenhagen in 1807.

In 1808 Spencer was made the second-in-command of General Arthur Wellesley during the Peninsular War and he was knighted for service in the Battle of Vimeiro. In 1811 he was replaced as the garrison commander of Badajoz by the Baron Lynedoch because he wrote pessimistic letters home to Britain, and in 1825 he was made a full general.